Roads into Copenhagen and Germany and Sweden closed during manhunt

Police operations are seen at the closed ferry port in Helsingoer, Denmark, on Friday. Picture by Keld Navntoft/Ritzau Scanpix via Associated Press

A police manhunt prompted Danish authorities to briefly cut off the eastern island of Zealand, including the capital of Copenhagen, from the rest of the country as well as from Germany and Sweden.

A black Swedish-registered car with "possibly three people onboard" was being sought in connection with "serious criminality", the Copenhagen police said.

Sweden's Aftonbladet paper, citing an unnamed police source, said the case was likely connected to a kidnapping.

Bridges from Zealand to the central island of Funen and to neighbouring Sweden were closed down for about two hours, and ferry crossings to Germany and to Sweden were halted.

Shutting down these major crossings caused major traffic jams near bridges to Sweden and to the mainland.

On Twitter, Copenhagen police later said all bridges and ferry crossings were reopened.

Denmark's TV2 said a police helicopter and a search with police dogs was spotted on the road near Roskilde, 40 miles west of Copenhagen between the capital and the Storebaelt bridge to the island of Funen.

Copenhagen airport stayed open during the manhunt, according to its website.